


Growing Up

by fandomgurl77



Series: Post-Movie Universe [3]
Category: The Greatest Showman (2017)
Genre: Birthday, Bullying, Childhood, Circus child, Gen, Growing Up, Happy Family, Homeschooling, Homework, Money buys happiness, People are cruel, Period-Typical Racism, Telling Off, Young Love, and the circus is fun, bored, maths and spelling is hard
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-27
Updated: 2020-06-16
Packaged: 2021-03-02 05:00:47
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 3,255
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23869420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fandomgurl77/pseuds/fandomgurl77
Summary: In 1881, Phillip and Anne's son is being home-schooled in the circus and learning about life - but life isn't always easy...
Relationships: Phillip Carlyle/Anne Wheeler
Series: Post-Movie Universe [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1718617
Kudos: 7





	1. Chapter 1

_It was July 7 th, 1881; Julian was nine and was between the equivalent of 4th and 5th grade, Phillip had turned 41 just six days prior and Anne was 38._

‘Nice work, son’, Anne said as she read a list of answers that Julian had written down as part of a spelling test, ‘However, excellent has a second “e” in it, not an “a.”’

‘Oh, man’, Julian said disappointedly, ‘Why does spelling have to be so difficult?’

‘Don’t worry’, Anne said, ‘You’ll get it eventually.’

‘If only P.T was here with us…’ Julian said as he looked at a photo of him on the wall.

‘I know’, Anne said, remembering the funeral just a month before Christmas the previous year, ‘That day and the weeks after were the saddest time in our lives, especially for Caroline and Helen, since Charity had gone just a week before.’

‘Yes’, Julian said sadly, ‘But at least we still have the troupe with us.’

**A few hours later in the diner car…**

‘Are you sure you don’t want any more beans, Julian?’ Phillip asked from the other side of the table, ‘They’re delicious.’

‘No thanks, I’m full anyway’, Julian replied.

‘By the way, how’s your wrist?’ Anne asked.

‘The doctor in the previous town said that it should be fine after being rested for 24 hours’, Phillip replied.

It was then that Julian thought of something funny and started giggling.

‘What’s so funny, Julian?’ Phillip asked.

‘Oh’, Julian replied, ‘It’s just because of where you are sitting, opposite of me and Anne.’

‘So, I’m sitting opposite where you are’, Phillip said, ‘How is that funny?’

‘Don’t you get it, Dad?’ Julian chuckled, ‘It’s because you’re sitting on “the other side!”’

‘Oh, my goodness’, Phillip said as he facepalmed and shook his head in disbelief, ‘That is absolutely terrible.’

‘You’re right, it is terrible…’ Julian chuckled, ‘Terribly hysterical!’

‘Anyway, it’s time to clean up’, Phillip said as he stood up, ‘And this time, you can help with cleaning too.’

‘But, Dad…’ Julian began.

‘Julian’, Phillip said, ‘What have we taught you about being responsible?’

‘Always clean up after yourself’, Julian said as he picked his plate and cup up.

‘That’s a good boy’, Phillip said before they headed to the kitchen in the middle of the car.

Two days later, the troupe was preparing for the midday show.

‘Ok’, Phillip said in his room as he put his coat and hat on, ‘I’ll be leaving you in here to solve these maths problems, Julian.’

‘But where will you be?’ Julian asked.

‘The show starts in five minutes’, Phillip replied as he opened the door, ‘I want to read what you’ve done afterwards.’

‘Yes, Dad’, Julian said before Phillip closed the door, ‘See you later!’

**Half an hour later…**

‘Come on, brain’, Julian thought when he reached the last problem, ‘What’s 30 + 20 - 15?’

Suddenly, he heard the big cats roaring in the main part of the tent.

‘Just one peek won’t hurt’, he thought as he opened the door, sneaked down the hall and opened another door slightly.

‘Wow!’ he thought when he saw three tigers balancing on giant green and blue balls in the middle ring while two lions jumped through flaming hoops onto their platforms in the side rings, ‘I wish I didn’t have to study so I could be out there watching from the stands.’

He then closed the door and returned to the room to finish the problem.

‘There’, Julian thought when he put his pencil down on the small table, ‘All finished.’

He then saw Anne’s open purse on the bed with a five dollar note sticking out.

‘I’ve got an idea!’ he thought when he took it out, ‘I could go and buy myself something for lunch!’

However, when he got to the shop down the road, the person behind the counter refused to serve him.

‘Uh…hello?’ he asked while he waved his arms, ‘I’m right here.’

‘Just leave my shop, young boy’, the man said, ‘This is a “whites only” establishment!’

‘What do you mean?’ Julian asked.

‘Take a look at yourself’, the man replied angrily, ‘You’re the wrong colour!’

‘But, sir…’ Julian said, ‘I’ve got five dollars here.’

‘I don’t care if you have a million dollars’, the man shouted, ‘Just get out before I call the police!’

‘O…k…’ Julian said nervously on the verge of tears as he walked out and down the road, only for a trio of teenagers to throw racial insults and eggs at him as he passed by.

It was then he remembered Anne’s words: _“You could never be more perfect than you are now.”_

‘No, I’m not’, he sobbed, ‘I’m ugly.’

Suddenly, another man walked up to him selling five-dollar donuts.

‘Good afternoon, young man’, he said, ‘Could I interest you in a donut?’

‘Yes, please!’ Julian said before he remembered what had just happened, ‘On second thought, no thanks. You’re probably just like them.’

‘Listen here, boy’, the man said, ‘Those people are just ignorant racists who have no right to treat you the way they did. I despise them all for what they do.’

‘Oh’, Julian said, ‘In that case, I’ll take a chocolate donut with pink sprinkles.’

‘Sure’, the man said, ‘That will be five dollars, please.’

‘Here’, Julian said as he exchanged his note for the donut.

‘Thank you’, the man said before he walked away, ‘You take care of yourself.’

‘Thank you!’ Julian said before he ran back to the tent.

Meanwhile, Anne had just returned to the room when she noticed that the five-dollar note was missing from her purse.

‘Phillip’, she said after he walked in and hanged his coat and hat on the stand in the corner, ‘Have you seen my five-dollar note anywhere?’

‘No’, Phillip said, ‘Come to think of it, Julian’s nowhere to be found either, although he did complete those problems.’

‘Julian’, Anne said, ‘Maybe he knows where the note is.’

Meanwhile, Julian had just entered the room when Phillip saw the donut in his hand.

‘Glad you could join us, son’, Anne said, ‘Do you know where the five dollars in my purse went?’

‘Uh…’ Julian began.

‘And where did you get that donut?’ Phillip asked.

‘Ok, I went out after I finished those problems you made for me and purchased it using the five dollars’, Julian admitted.

‘Julian, you know that taking something without permission is wrong!’ Anne said.

‘Sorry, Mum’, Julian said, ‘But it was so tempting…’

‘Well, just be sure to ask us next time’, Phillip said.

‘Yes, Dad’, Julian said.

‘By the way, what’s that in your hair?’ Anne asked.

‘Oh’, Julian said with tears forming in his eyes, ‘It’s egg.’

‘How did it get in your hair?’ Anne asked.

‘Well, while I was walking down the road, three teenagers began shouting racial insults and throwing eggs at me’, Julian sobbed.

‘Seriously’, Anne said as she facepalmed, ‘When will people learn?’

‘It’s because I’m ugly, isn’t it?’ Julian sobbed before he burst into tears.

‘No, you’re not’, Phillip said as he hugged him, ‘You’re perfect the way you are, and it doesn’t matter what anyone else says or thinks.’


	2. Chapter 2

Eight and a half months later, on the morning of the 17th March 1882, Anne woke Julian up and told him to follow her down into the main part of the tent.

‘Happy birthday, son’, she said to him before he sprang out of bed as a result, ‘Follow me down the hall.’

‘Ok’, Julian said as he stood up and put his slide-on shoes on, before washing his hands and following Anne down the hall.

‘They’re coming’, Phillip said, ‘Get ready, everyone.’

‘So, why did you wake me so early, Mum?’ Julian said as they opened the door, only to be greeted by everyone yelling “SURPRISE!!”

‘Happy 10th birthday, Julian!’ Phillip said as he hugged him. ‘I’ve got a little something for you on the table beside the cake.’

‘Thanks, Dad’, Julian said before he raced over to the table and began unwrapping the package to find a big box inside.

‘It’s in the box, son’, Anne said before he opened it excitedly.

‘I cannot believe it!’ he said in awe when he saw his own version of Phillip’s coat and hat inside, ‘Thank you!’

‘You had always told me you wanted to someday become ringmaster’, Phillip said, ‘Why don’t you put it on?’

‘Maybe after we have cake’, Julian said, ‘I don’t want to get anything on it.’ 

‘Fair enough’, Phillip said as everyone sat at the table.

**Two days later in New York…**

‘Caroline!’ Helen said as she walked up to her, ‘Have a look at the main story in the paper.’

‘What does it say?’ Caroline asked as she read the title of the article.

“Circus stir: 10-year old African-American ringmaster takes North Dakota town by storm”, it read.

‘I can’t believe it!’ she said, ‘That’s Phillip and Anne’s son, Julian Ugabe-Carlyle!’

‘Mum and Dad would have been over the moon at this news’, Helen said, ‘Just look around; everyone’s reading and talking about it.’

‘Sweet cheese, you’re right!’ Caroline said when she looked around and saw people walking by and sitting down while reading the article and customers in shops and cafes talking to each other about it, ‘I can only imagine how much money the circus will be making now in light of this sudden surge in popularity.’

**Back in North Dakota at the circus…**

‘THIS IS THE GREATEST SHOW!!!’ the troupe sang at the end of the closing act of the afternoon show as Julian and Phillip stood on either side of the middle ring with their arms stretched out in a V-shape while the audience cheered.

However, one of today’s audience members was a 12-year old girl named Tabitha who had taken a liking to Julian.

‘Wow…’ she sighed dreamily, ‘That’s just amazing!’

‘Yes’, her mother, Erica, said, ‘These shows are always a “must-see” spectacle whenever they come to town, aren’t they?’

‘Heck yes’, Tabitha said, ‘I just wish I could talk to _him_ …’

‘Tabitha’, Erica said as soon as she realised who she was referring to, ‘You _know_ that we do not socialise with _them_!’

‘What are you talking about, Mother?’ Tabitha asked when she snapped out of her daydream.

‘Isn’t it obvious?’ Erica said as they vacated the stand and walked outside with the rest of the crowd, ‘We’re white and of high society, and as for _him_ , well, I’ll let you figure it out by yourself on the way home.’


	3. Chapter 3

‘It’s just as well that it’s legal for us to be together in public here’, Phillip said as he, Anne and Julian were sitting on a bench at the local park.

‘Yes’, Anne said, ‘However, South Dakota retained the anti-miscegenation law, and we’re headed there after we pack up in a couple of days.’

‘I’m going to take a walk to the fountain in the centre of the park’, Julian said when he stood up, ‘I won’t be long.’

‘Ok’, Anne said, ‘Take care.’

While he was walking along the path, he encountered a pre-teen girl wearing a blue dress and a fur shawl.

‘Good afternoon, young man’, she said, ‘I take it that your name is Julian, right?’

‘Uh…yes’, Julian said, ‘What’s your name?’

‘I’m Tabitha Hutchinson’, Tabitha said, ‘You look exactly like the young African-American ringmaster that I saw at the circus yesterday.’

‘Yes, I am him’, Julian said, ‘By the way, I’m 10.’

‘And I’m 12’, Tabitha said.

‘Tabitha!’ Erica said as she walked up to her, ‘We’ll be late if we don’t get going.’

‘Sorry, Mother’, Tabitha said, ‘By the way, this is Julian.’

‘Oh’, Erica said, ‘It is you…’

‘See you later, Julian’, Tabitha mouthed before she began walking towards the street.

‘Listen here, Julian’, Erica said, ‘You are to come nowhere near my daughter again, understand?’

‘Uh, yes, mam’, Julian said.

‘Good’, Erica said before she walked away, ‘Goodbye!’

‘Mum!’ Julian said as he ran back to the bench, ‘I met this 12-year old girl named Tabitha near the fountain, and she said she saw me in the show yesterday!’

‘Hold on a minute!’ Phillip said, ‘Was she Tabitha Hutchinson?’

‘Yes’, Julian said.

‘It’s just that my parents were good friends with her father, who runs the hotel across the street’, Phillip said.

‘Anyway, I think she might have taken a liking for me at the show’, Julian said.

‘Well, you did look dashing in that outfit yesterday, if I do say so myself’, Phillip said, ‘I wouldn’t be surprised if the other girls of her age in the audience did too.’

‘Perhaps you are right, Dad’, Julian said, ‘Anyway, let’s head back to the tent.’

‘Goodbye, Julian’, Tabitha said through the carriage window, ‘I’m going to miss you!’

‘Don’t worry’, Julian said, ‘We’ll be back in town before you know it. Besides, we can still send letters to each other.’

‘Ok’, Tabitha said as she handed him a piece of paper through the opening, ‘Here’s my address.’

‘Thanks, Julian said as the train moved out of the station, ‘Looking forward to hearing from you!’

**Half an hour after the morning show that Saturday…**

‘Mum, can I ask you a question?’ Julian asked as they walked down the street.

‘Sure’, Anne replied.

‘Why can’t Dad be seen with us in public?’ Julian asked.

‘Oh’, Anne said as they stopped and sat on a bench at the side of the street, ‘Since you’re old enough to understand, I’ll tell you.’

‘Ok’, Julian said, ‘Tell me.’

‘You see, there are some places in the country where it is technically illegal for us to be together; our marriage isn’t even valid in these places.’

‘Why not?’ Julian asked.

‘Because of anti-miscegenation laws, which make inter-racial relationships a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment’, Anne replied.

‘I’ve never heard of such a ridiculous thing!’ Julian said, ‘You mean, you have had to hide whenever you have been out in public?’

‘Only in areas where these laws are enforced’, Anne said, ‘Even then, I and your father have been caught together once; ironically, it was by a policeman when we were travelling through Oklahoma.’

‘You were caught?’ Julian asked, ‘What happened?’

‘Well, when he noticed that our hands were interlocked, he said the we were breaking the law, got off his horse and climbed into the sleeper car, where he found us in my room’, Anne replied, ‘I told him that you needed us, since you were only one, but he said that there were no excuses. It was only because Lettie explained our situation while nearly bursting into tears that he ultimately let us off with a warning.’

‘Thank goodness for that then’, Julian said, ‘Goodness knows what could have happened to either of you if he hadn’t…’

‘Well, it would have most likely ended up in Court first to determine our punishment, and since the system is largely based on “White Privilege…”’

‘Let me guess’, Julian said, ‘You wouldn’t have stood a chance yourself.’

‘I’m almost certain I would have been sent to jail, while Phillip would have been let off because of family connections, and as for you, I don’t know what would have happened…’ Anne said.

‘Excuse me, mam?’ a postman said as he approached the bench, ‘Are you Anne Ugabe-Carlyle?’

‘Yes, I am’, Anne replied, ‘Why?’

‘I’ve got a letter for your son here’, the postman said when he gave a sealed envelope to her.

‘Thanks’, she said.

‘No problem’, the postman said before he walked away, ‘Goodbye!’

‘Here, Julian’, Anne said as she handed the envelope to him, ‘It’s for you.’

‘Thanks’, Julian said before he opened it and read the letter inside, which was from Tabitha Hutchinson.


	4. Chapter 4

**Two years later…**

‘Excellent performance tonight, Julian’, Phillip said as he hanged his coat on the stand in his room, followed by his hat, ‘Keep that up and you’ll one day have your sleeves covered with gold thread like me.’

‘Thanks, Dad’, Julian said as his voice cracked.

‘Julian…I heard your voice deepen suddenly!’ Phillip said in response.

‘What?’ Julian asked.

‘A male’s voice deepens as he gets older, usually around the early to mid-teens’, Phillip said, ‘It happened to me at age 14 while I was giving a speech at school.’

‘Does this mean I won’t be able to sing the high notes in the finale now?’ Julian asked.

‘Yes’, Phillip replied, ‘Those days are over.’

**A few minutes later…**

‘Julian!’ a female voice shouted as the owner ran over to him from across the tent, ‘It’s been over two years since I last saw you!’

‘Tabitha!’ Julian said as he hugged her, ‘How have you been?’

‘Very well’, Tabitha said, ‘By the way, I’ve read all your letters.’

‘And I’ve read all of yours too’, Julian replied.

‘Anyway, your performance tonight was amazing’, Tabitha said before she looked behind her to ensure Erica couldn’t see them, ‘In appreciation, I would like to give you something before I leave.’

‘What is it?’ Julian asked before she kissed him on the cheek and ran off, causing his pupils to dilate.

‘See you around!’ Tabitha said.

‘I saw everything that happened there, Julian’, Anne said as he stared towards the entrance and was as still as a statue, ‘Julian? Are you awake?’

‘Oh’, Julian said as he turned to face her, ‘Sorry, Mum, what were you saying?’

‘Anyway, it seems as if you are more than just “friends” now, going by that display’, Anne said.

‘I wouldn’t say that…’ Julian said before he ran up to his room at the end of the corridor.

‘Come on, Julian’, Anne said, ‘There’s nothing to be ashamed of. It’s a perfectly natural part of growing up.’

‘Yes’, Phillip said, ‘When I and your mother first met, she was doing a routine on the trapeze and I had just been hired by P.T and was touring the building that we had back in those days, when I looked out over the balcony and our eyes locked for a few seconds.’

The following day brought a big surprise for the troupe, although Julian already knew about it.

‘Everyone’, Phillip said, ‘Anne has an important announcement to make.’

‘Good morning, everyone’, Anne said, ‘Guess what?’

‘What?’ Lettie asked.

‘You’ll never believe this’, Anne replied excitedly, ‘I’m pregnant again!’

‘No wonder you seemed to be a bit larger than normal!’ the troupe said, ‘So, how many are there this time?’

‘It’s the same as last time’, Julian replied, ‘I’m going to be a big brother to one.’

‘How far away is the due date?’ Chang and Eng asked.

‘Approximately three months from now’, Anne replied.

‘Anyway, since we are now needing extra rooms on the train, we can start using that new sleeper car that P.T purchased just before he passed’, Julian said, ‘And I’ll be the first to move in there.’

**Three months later…**

‘Oh, Anne’, Phillip said when he was in her room looking into his daughter’s green eyes, ‘She’s gorgeous.’

‘Now, as far as names go, I’ve already chosen one for her’, Anne said, ‘We’ll call her Ethel, after my and W.D’s mother.’

‘You know what, I was thinking the same too’, Phillip said.


	5. Epilogue

‘I’ve got a baby sister!’ Julian said excitedly before he jumped up onto one of the trapeze ropes, ‘Her name is Ethel!’

‘Well, congratulations to you all!’ everyone said.

‘I’m sure we’ll have many fun years ahead’, Julian said, ‘Who knows where we’ll go…’


End file.
